December Plantwise: To-Do This Month

Leaves to rake and books to read for December gardening

Don your galoshes and rake up those wet, heavy leaves from your lawn and perennial beds; either add them to your compost or spread them around shrubs and trees to break down into mulch. Forgot to plant bulbs? Do it now! They will probably still bloom—just a bit later than usual. And as long as the ground isn’t frozen, you can plant cold-hardy trees and shrubs, which can grow healthy roots in the rain.

When you’re done mucking around, there’s no substitute for in-depth reading, especially on topics hard to find in one place online. Recommendations: